


A wizards associate

by Shaladaze



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Tales of Arcadia: Wizards
Genre: First Meeting, More than 900 years in the past, One-Shot, Pre-Wizards, small town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26175739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaladaze/pseuds/Shaladaze
Summary: With a smirk the teen glances at the cat, “Archibald?”The cat folds his arms, “Don't act like yours is any better Hisirdoux.”
Comments: 10
Kudos: 103





	A wizards associate

Hisirdoux Casperan wouldn’t say he was a thief. He worked for every scrap he had! That being said, he hadn’t exactly used coins to buy something before.

He glances down at his hand, just enough of the metal circles to purchase a loaf bread if he understands how they work enough. He was still debating on if he wanted to spend it or try to save up but the town he was in was more run down than he was and he couldn’t fathom trying to worm a loaf out of these people with his usual tricks. 

Heaving a heavy sigh, he closes his fist protectively before shoving it down into his pocket. Best not to tempt any passerby’s while he searches for someone he can trade with. Then he squares his shoulders and slips into the market traffic from his previous hiding place.

As he walks, a smile works its way onto his face. While the town had definitely seen better days, the people were surprisingly lively in the mornings, shouts of prices and deals washing through the streets to the point you couldn’t actually understand them, while groups stood around and chatted over each other about their daily life, oblivious or not caring that they were blocking the main walkway. Colors blurring past him so fast he can’t tell what he was seeing and hats blocking most of his vision of the sky or dresses that push him out of the way if he didn’t move fast enough. It was almost overwhelming.

A large shoulder connects with Hisirdoux’ own, a rather surprising amount of pain dulling some of his fresh excitement for the market. The shoulder he had bumped into whirls on him, grabbing the neck of his shirt to pull him forward and off his feet.

An old scruffy beard and an equally scruffy looking man greets his senses, “Hey! No one runs into me and walks away without apologizing!”

The teen gags as the strong smell of the man wafts up his nose, “A-apologies sir! I didn’t see you there!” His hands wave a little to show his innocence.

The man drops him, his momentum sending him to the dirt, “I’ve never seen you before. Who are you!” It’s more of a demand than a question.

He hesitates, “I, I’m just a traveler! Sir!” Best not to give his name away.

The man growls, his hand inching towards the weapon at his hip, but he pauses when he notices the amount of attention they were gathering, “Get out of my sight and don’t ever cross it again!”

Jumping up from the ground, the teen scrambles his way through the crowd and down the closest alleyway he could find. His instincts were screaming at him, how could he have gotten into trouble so quickly? He hadn’t even been in this town for that long!

He stops just behind what he assumes is a shop, the alley back here was surprisingly clean. Enough so that the teen felt more than comfortable leaning on the brick and sliding to the floor, though that doesn’t mean much when you sleep wherever you can. His knees fold up so his elbows can rest on them.

A loud groan leaves him then, his fingers threading through his hair in frustration while he closes his eyes.

“Great, I’ve already gotten on someone’s bad side.” A slight blue tint behind his eyelids has him snapping his eyes open and pulling his hands out of his hair.

Blue light was dancing over his fingertips, a translucent smoke following his every movement.

“Oh, buckets.” Panic grips him then as he realizes what it is, “Oh, buckets!”

He shakes his hands, trying to get the magic to stop, now was not the time to be losing control! The blue persists and if anything gets stronger as his emotions run away from him.

He shoves his hands under his armpits as if it would help, “No, no, no!”

He tries to focus on calming his breath, and possibly his heart if he can bear it, the sounds of the market much softer now that he wasn’t in the middle of all of it, but his mind was loud. Thoughts of the last time this happened gripping him in pure fear.

He had been in a rich kingdom, a few nobles had cornered him just because they could and Hisirdoux had defended himself the only way he knew how, his magic had lashed out wildly in his fear and injured one of the men. The kingdom’s guard was quick to find them after that and soon the whole town was trying to kill him, he had just managed to escape with his life.

A soft purr jerks him out of his thoughts, a quick look down reveals a small black cat brushing against his leg.

Cautiously, so as not to scare it, the teen tries to shoo the cat, he really didn’t have time to be worrying about hurting such a small animal right now. It persists though, it’s purr’s getting louder when his hand brushes it’s head.

Sighing, he tries to keep his voice low, “Please go, I can’t control this right now and I don’t want to hurt you.”

The cat shoves it’s face into his hand, effectively freezing the teen where he sits as the blue magic makes contact with fur. After a moment of holding his breath, he lets it out in a loud whoosh. Nothing had happened.

Tentatively, he pets the cat again, and when he gets the same results, his body relaxes to the point he slouches over his legs.

“Oh, thank Merlin. That could have gone really badly you know?” He points an accusatory finger at the cat, who’s only response is to shove its face into his hand.

All tension gone and troubled thoughts quieted, Hisirdoux decides to indulge the animal and runs his fingers through the soft, if not slightly dirty, fur. The constant purring of the animal making him feel pleased to know he made the cat so comfortable.

He smirks when he scratches at the base of the cat's tail, it’s body practically melting at the feeling, “I’m surprised you wanted to be near me with the magic on my hands. Most people run away when they see that.”

He goes back to petting it’s head, his legs falling into a criss-cross position that the cat happily climbs into before settling down on his legs.

Hisirdoux can’t help the laugh that leaves him, “You’re surprisingly friendly for a stray.” He runs his hand gently over the cat's tail, “Or maybe you’re a house cat that got out.”

They sit in a semi silence, with the cat’s purring being the only thing the teen focuses on. With every passing second it was like something in his chest was settling back into place, a strange feeling of completeness coming over him.

They're interrupted by the horrible sound his stomach makes, a nervous laugh leaving him when the cat perks up to look at him.

“Sorry, I haven’t actually eaten yet today.”

The cat stares at him, it’s large blue eyes boring a hole through his soul. Then it yawns and jumps off his lap.

With a huff and feeling incredibly judged, the teen stands up to dust off his pants, “It’s not my fault, I-“ he pauses, his eyes going wide, “I’m talking to a cat.”

He looks over to see the raven colored creature stretching.

“I’m talking to a cat like it can understand me,” a heavy sigh leaves him as his hand runs down his face, “I’m officially losing my mind.”

With a calmer mindset and a twinge of sadness, he waves to the feline, “I have to go, maybe we’ll see each other in the future.” When it gives him a soft meow in response, the teen walks out into the opposite street he had just come from.

He takes a quick glance around for any sign of the man from earlier before slipping into the crowd, the road much easier to walk than the one he had come from, likely because there were less people. The vendors along this stretch of road were much easier to hear.

“One gold for our biggest bundle of fruit! Only the best in the kingdom!”

“Today only! Get the best weapons for the best price!”

“Fresh from the oven and still steamin’ hot, come get y’r fresh bread here!”

He perks up at that, his feet guiding him closer to the voice he had been hearing, and the even more enticing smell pulling him closer to the stand.

A man not much older than himself stands behind a few baskets of bread, a proud smile on his shaven face when he makes eye contact with the teen, “Welcome stranger! You look like y’re hungry for some of the best bread in town!”

Hisirdoux gives a shy laugh, “We’ll see if I can. How much?”

The man wipes his hands on his apron before gesturing to the different types of bread, “Ah, this one here is sellin’ for two silver pieces and if you buy three you get a fourth for half. These here will cost ya three large silver, since they have honey in them. The taste is to die for. And we also have an option for sandwiches, those will cost ya 4 large silver.”

The teen stares in mild astonishment, he had no idea if that was a deal or not but at the moment he almost didn’t care. Slowly his hands reach into his pocket, his fingers dancing over the small silvers and trying to gauge their worth.

“Um, how much were these again?” He gestures to their cheapest bread.

The man gives him an unimpressed look but relents anyway, “Those would be two silvers.”

A small bead of sweat forms on his brow, this was more intimidating than he thought it would be, “Then probably one of those. I’m uh, not sure if I have enough for more than that.”

At his admission, the man softens his face, “Ah, first time out buyin’ something without the parents ‘round?”

A hand scratches the back of his neck, “Something like that.”

The man waves a hand at him, “No trouble at all, here, show me what ya have and I’ll try to explain what ya can buy with it.”

Hisirdoux hesitates, he didn’t want to show the man what he had but he also really needed some help figuring out what to do with the coins, for all he knew it was worth less than he thought.

With a sigh and a double check to make sure the man was still far enough away he couldn’t take it, the teen pulls out his stash from his pocket.

The man hums, leaning forward slightly while folding his arms, as if to prove he won’t touch them, “Well, ya have one large silver and three small silver.”

The teen nods, a question falling off his lips, “How much is a large silver?”

The man leans back, “Six small silvers give ya one large silver.”

He sighs slightly, “Ah, thank you then.”

He goes to pull his hand back when the man speaks up, “I’ll break ya a deal since this seems like y’r first time buying somethin’. Some of our bread doesn’t always come out the best so we usually keep it, but we have so much we don’t know what to do with it. I’ll get ya one of those for all that coin.”

Squinting suspiciously, the teen pulls his hand back, while he may not know how to buy something, trading and bargaining were very familiar, “If I decide to do that, I want to pick which bread I get. And only after I make my choice will I give you my coins.”

The man lets out a hearty laugh, “That’s fair! Go on into the main shop and let my wife know. She’s the cranky small one in an apron.”

Shoving his hand into his pocket to keep the coins safe, the teen wanders around the stall and into the building behind it. The smells of warm cooking bread filling his nose and making his mouth water. From his view point, it looked like there were only workers in the building, three women moving about the space in quick movements and loud chatting.

One of the younger girls spots him on her way to the stove, “Ma! There’s a kid in the shop!”

At first Hisirdoux doesn’t know who the girl is talking about, then out of seemingly nowhere a woman crowds into his face, which is surprising considering her size, “Why are ya in my shop?!”

The teen backs up, his hands in the air, “I-Uh, was told to come in?” When the woman raises a wooden spoon he hurriedly explains, “The man outside said I could buy some of your bread from you!”

Her hand lowers to mimic the other on her hip, “Let me guess. Ya don’t have enough money for the good bread.”

He laughs nervously, “Ha ha, well, according to him, no.”

She sighs heavily before gesturing to one of the three girls, “Get the reject basket!” Then she turns back to the teen, “Let me see what ya got.”

He frowns, his hand still protectively in his pocket, “I told the man I wanted to pick which one I would get before giving you the money.”

A smirk makes its way to her face, “Ya know more than ya let on.” A rather large basket is set out on a table near them before the girl who had dropped it off is running back to her work, “Alrigh’ pick.”

At her encouragement, he walks over to peer inside, the bread was mostly in odd shapes, some horrendously deformed while other looked a little burned. He grabs the biggest one he could find just by looking, “I’ll take this one if you don’t mind.”

The woman raises an eyebrow at him, “Y’r surprisingly good mannered for a kid who looks like he grew up in the streets.” She holds out a hand expectantly.

A flush makes its way to his cheeks, “Thank you?” He fishes out the coins and places them in her hand.

She gives him a surprised look, “That’s more than I was expecin’.” She shoves the coins in her own pocket before grabbing something from the basket and tossing it to him, “Here. Now go out the back door so no one sees ya. Bad for buisness.”

With that the room of women ignore him, not even giving him a side glance as he’s basically shoved out the back of the shop and into another alleyway. This one much dirtier than the last.

Baffled by his experience and completely confused by the woman, he looks down at the large loaf of bread he had picked and the much smaller one she had tossed at him. It smelled sweeter than the big one. A grin creeps onto his face when he realizes just how much food he’s holding.

A soft whisper leaves him, “They were kinder than I thought they would be.”

Suddenly very aware of how out in the open he was, the teen stuffs the smaller bread into his pocket for safekeeping before tearing off a bite from the loaf. It wasn’t dry like he was expecting or even crunchy like most bread was, it was soft and tasted even better.

With a content hum, he starts off down the alleyway to find somewhere to enjoy his meal. A quick glance showed he was alone but you could never be certain with so many corners. Feeling rather antsy, the teen turns back to where the forest was, it might be more dangerous for most people but for him it was more home than a town was.

His feet guide him to the edge of the alley, as close as he can get to the forest. He couldn’t shake the feeling he had eyes following his every movement, as if waiting for him to make one small fatal mistake to finish him off. It was unnerving but not a completely forgein feeling, once he got to the forest he would be safe, he just had to get there.

He jogs across the dirt path, the wide empty space the only thing between him and the forest. The sense of danger spikes in his mind but he couldn’t do anything about it yet, not until he was sure he was out of town. With a mighty push, he plows through a row of bushes and behind a tree, flattening his back to the bark as he waits for whatever was following him.

A moment passes, then two, then three. With a slow breath and a sliver of fear, the teen peers around his hiding place, eyeing the busy town from his spot and trying to find who had been watching him. When he sees nothing he sinks down to a sitting position and sighs.

“This day is too much for me.”

“Mrow.”

Jumping out of his skin, blue magic flings to his fingertips as he points to the spot the noise had come from, only to find he was aiming at a frustratingly familiar black cat.

“Buckets! You really gave me a scare!” His body slumps as his hands fall back to his side, “You have some of the best and worst timing.”

The cat meows at him again, it’s sitting form leaning forward slightly to sniff at him.

Taking pity on the animal, he tears off some of the bread and holds it out for the feline, “If you followed me into the forest, you’re probably just as much a stray as I am.”

The cat sniffs at the offering before taking a bite out of it.

“It’s pretty good huh?” He sets it down on the grass, “I don’t mind sharing a little, food is hard to come by.”

The pair eat in silence, the town's noise was much more muted when one was in the forest and Hisirdoux took solace in the fact no one would follow him here. While most avoided the wooded area because of its dangers, it was one of the only things that kept him safe on his travels. It was much easier to run when you had cover on your side, and his magic couldn’t hurt much out here.

When he feels full enough, he offers what’s left to the cat, who is more than happy to eat it in his place.

“Still don’t know why you followed me.” His hand finds the top of the cats head to scratch just behind its ear, earning him some pleasantly purring.

“You’re magic for one thing.”

The teen pauses, his eyes flying around him to try and find the source of the voice, “What-“

The cat sits up on its hind legs, a pawed hand reaching back to some invisible place to pull out a pair of glasses that it puts on its nose, “I was surprised to see a wizard skittering around such a busy market without much care to getting caught.”

Silence rings around them for a moment before the teen can grasp what was happening, “The cat talked.”

Said cat rolls it’s eyes, “Actually, I’m a dragon.”

“It has glasses?” The teen can feel himself tensing up, the familiar pull of his magic tugging just below the surface.

“He. He is wearing glasses.” The cat gestures to himself, “I am a male dragon.”

The blue glow is back on his hands full force, more a flame than a flicker, “You tricked me!”

The cat puts out his paws as if to placate him, “Now hold on, I have no intentions of fighting you.”

When the teen doesn’t move he continues, “I was simply observing you and wanted to talk with you when you got a moment alone. Now seemed like a good time.”

His eyes trail to the cats chest as he finally takes note of the white fur, “You have a mark on your chest.”

The cat glances down, “Ah yes. That would be a birthmark.” The cat looks up at him, “For a wizard, I was expecting a different reaction.”

Hisirdoux lets his hand find his head, the blue smoke never leaving his palm, “No, no, I’m not a wizard. I’m just a kid who can do magic.”

The feline watches his hand warily, “Are you going to put that magic away?”

He glances down at his glowing hand, tugging at his hair lightly when his efforts to cut off the stream don’t work, “Apparently not,” his hand leaves his hair as his breathing picks up, “Why won’t it stop?”

The cat reaches out to him but doesn’t move closer, “Well, first you need to calm down.”

“Calm down?!” His head snaps up, the magic intensifying when his irritation spikes.

The cats ears flatten, a soft hiss leaving his mouth as he bounces back, “Don't raise your voice at me! I am still a dragon!”

The teen let’s his hands dig into his hair again, “It’s never done this before! I’ve never had my magic just!- just, LEAK out before!” His eyes close in the hopes that if he couldn’t see it it didn’t exist.

Soft fur brushes past his forearm, a soft purr close to follow, “Let me help you. That was one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you.”

Opening his light brown eyes, they meet wide blue, so much like his magic yet so much more solid, “How?”

The cat backs up, “As I have mentioned many times before, I am a dragon. I know a little bit about magic and I can help you stop the ‘leaking’ you are experiencing.”

The teen sighs, “What do I need to do?”

The cat frowns, “Do you know anything about familiars?” When the teen shakes his head, he continues, “Familiars have the ability to wane off some of the excess magic their wizards put off. If a wizard has too much of a buildup of magic it can sometimes cause pain or sickness.” He gestures to the blue glowing hands, “Or for the magic to just pour out of you.”

The teen frowns, “What do the familiars do with this magic?”

The cat settles back onto all four paws, “That depends on the familiar, most will use it to transform, some can use it to assist their wizard in tasks that involve magic and others can store it away so the wizard can use it later.”

Hisirdouxe considers this, “And what’s the cost?”

Blue eyes glint, “That is part of the cost. A familiar having access to magic is a great benefit to both parties.”

The teen scrunches his nose, “Still smells like there’s a catch.”

The cat smiles approvingly, “A lifetime bond. A wizard and familiar pair will be magically bound for all eternity. Never to be broken apart.”

He frowns, “Why would you offer something like that? Don’t you have a life you want to live?”

The cat stands up to gesture to the teens hands, “You have a lot of magic in you, and even more magical potential if you train it. I would be willing to help you as long as you help me.”

The teen frowns, letting his hands fall to his lap, “And what do you want?”

“At the moment, to be your familiar. After that? Something to eat and somewhere to be safe would be nice.”

The teen laughs, “Wouldn’t that be nice. I can’t offer you that.”

The cat folds its arms, “You fed me a moment ago.”

He waves his hands, ignoring the glow, “That was different.”

The cat pokes him in the chest, “You fed a stray animal even after you admitted you hadn’t eaten. You let said stray rest and sleep in your lap for the better part of the morning without complaint.” They sit in silence for a moment to let that sink in. Perhaps it had just hit them both how important that action had been.

The cat sits back on it haunches, “What’s important is what you want. If you don’t want a familiar, I will leave you alone. But if you do, I’m here.”

The teen sighs, he couldn’t deny the appeal of having someone around all the time, it was incredibly lonely the way he lived, and he wouldn’t mind having more control over his magic but could he really stomach trapping this creature in his lifestyle with him?

Said creature must have been able to read his thoughts because he brushes his forehead against the teens forearm again, “If it helps you at all, you are the first person to be kind to me since I left home and that is more than enough to make me want to help you.”

Hisirdoux’ breath hitches, “That’s…” he had a lot of words he could use, but it did indeed help him make his decision, “I can’t promise a comfortable life. If anything, we’ll be running for a lot of it.”

The cat shrugs, “I can fly.”

“I might not be the best company to be around…”

“At least we'll have each other.”

He didn’t have an argument for that one, “I have no idea how to do this.”

A grin, “That’s why I’m here.” He stands, “Hold your dominant hand out in front of my chest.”

The teen does as instructed.

He clears his throat, “Now, repeat after me. I, state your name.”

“I, Hisirdoux Casperan.”

“Bound my soul to this creature and in turn, I will share my magic with it as I see fit.”

He pauses, “Wait, as I see fit? What if you need it more?”

The question throws the cat off, a confused look taking over his features, “What?”

He puts his hand down, “What If we’re in danger and you need the magic more? What if I’m asleep? I can’t exactly give it to you if I’m passed out.”

The cat gives him a flabbergasted look, his eyes searching the teens face with squinted eyes, “Do you know what you’re asking?”

Hisirdoux folds his arms, “I think I would. I may not know much about magic but words are important. If I say that then it will be forever and it can never be changed. We’re supposed to be partners in this right?”

The cat’s mouth hangs open in disbelief, a long silence passing before he slowly asks, “What are you suggesting then?”

The teen perks up, “Open magic.” He considers this, “Or as close as we can get to it. You said that a familiar can store extra magic, so if I’m not using it you can just store it away, and I know wizards replenish their magic naturally.”

The cat actually sits down at this, the look of pure awe on his face giving Hisirdoux the creeps, “You want a mostly open magic channel with a dangerous creature you hardly know.”

He shrugs, “You didn’t eat me. And you said so yourself, it would be nice to have someone around.”

Silence settles over them once more, a familiar act they were already making a habit of. Finally the cat stands, “If that is what you want I won’t stop you, but I will warn you. Dragons are greedy.”

The teen laughs, “As long as you don’t drain me dry I don’t mind.”

He gets a nod, a somber feeling filling the cats posture as he straightens, “Lets try this again then.”

A blue hand lifts to the cat’s chest.

The words tumble out of his mouth as he is guided through the spell once more, “I, Hisirdoux Casperan, bound my soul to this creature, to share my magic freely between us as wizard and familiar.”

Then the cat speaks, “I, Archibald, bound my soul to this human, to offer assistance and guidance as familiar and wizard.”

The blue glow intensifies to an almost blinding point, making them both flinch slightly. Once the glow fades, to something more bearable, they open their eyes.

The once white circle in the cats fur is now glowing a soft blue, when the teen pulls his hand back he notices the same circle on his wrist, though much smaller.

With a smirk the teen glances at the cat, “Archibald?”

The cat folds his arms, “Don't act like yours is any better Hisirdoux.”

They snort at each other in a laugh.

“Fair play,” the teen waves a hand, “How does Archie sound?”

The cat lands on his paws, “Only if I can call you Douxie.”

“Deal.”

A shout of alarm from behind them sends them to their feet, both glancing in the direction of the village to see several soldiers wielding weapons and running towards them.

Archie backs up a few paces, “I guess we should have expected such a reaction after the light show we put on.”

Douxie swallows a gulp, “Guess so.” Then he turns around and books it further into the forest, “Run!”

The cat follows after him, a tug on the teens magic he wasn’t quite ready for causing him to stumble a bit before he can look back, “Wha-“ his words trail off when he sees the cat flying next to his head. A set of black wings and a spiked tail surprising him.

The cat gives a smug look, “I said I was a dragon.”

Laughter erupts from the teen, both of them enjoying the light atmosphere despite running away from possible danger. For now, they had each other and that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just one of the many ways I think they could have met.
> 
> 2/15/2021: Made some slight edits to fix spelling errors.


End file.
